Input device for combinational weighing system

ABSTRACT

For a system such as a combinational weighing system that requires a large number of parameters to be set for its operation, groups of parameters which frequently assume same sets of values are identified and each of such sets is assigned a reservation number. Memory space for storing values assumed by the parameters can be reduced if these values are grouped by such frequently occurring combinations and the user specifies a single reservation number instead of specifying values of the individual parameters. Selection of operating condition is effected by an input device with a touch screen. For some parameters, currently set values are displayed as a bar graph and a user can set or reset a value directly on the screen by moving a cursor on the bar graph.

This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 07/268,763 filed Nov. 8,1988, which is now U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,929 which is a divisional ofapplication Ser. No. 06/931,230 filed Nov. 14, 1986 which is now U.S.Pat. No. 4,811,256.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an input-output device for an operating systemand more particularly to a device with which a user can easily andefficiently select and modify operating conditions of a combinationalweighing system.

Combinational weighing means weighing articles by a plurality ofweighing devices, performing arithmetic operations for combinations ofmeasured weight values and then selecting a combination according to apredefined criterion. The major features of combinational weighing aregreat accuracy and high throughput. Automatic weighing systems of acombinational weighing type developed and manufactured by the presentassignee, for example, have been commercially available for many years.A typical combinational weighing system is comprised of a plurality ofarticle batch handling units arrayed radially in a circular formationand articles to be weighed are transported by a conveyor and droppedonto a centrally located dispersion feeder which distributes them amongthe individual article batch handling units. Each article batch handlingunit includes a pool hopper for holding an article batch temporarily anda weigh hopper wherein the article batch is weighed by means of a loadcell. An electrical signal indicative of the measured weight istransmitted therefrom to a computer which performs the aforementionedcombinational calculation to select a combination of weights, orcorresponding article batch handling units, and transmits dischargesignals to the selected article batch handling units, thereby causingarticle batches to be discharged from these selected units.

In order to operate such a system, the user is generally required to seta number of parameters for a program written for the system computerwhich executes it. With the progress in relevant technologies, however,combinational weighing systems are becoming increasingly versatile andthe number of data required for the operation is also increasing. Theinput procedure for these data becomes accordingly more complicated andtroublesome. For this reason, there have been developed input-outputdevices and programs intended to enable even a relatively inexperienceduser to efficiently make use of a great variety of functions offered bya given system. According to the input procedure disclosed in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 772,244 filed Sept. 3, 1985 now U.S. Pat.No. 4,694,920 and assigned to the present assignee, for example, theuser can interactively select a program from a menu which appears on adisplay screen. For some of the programs on the menu, the user may nothave to furnish a large amount of information. For running certainprograms with a versatile modern system offering many choices, however,the user may be required to enter a large number of data to define theconditions under which the program is to run. In situations where it isdesired to change the operating conditions of such a system with somefrequency such as when many different kinds of articles are weighed outor when the same kind of articles are weighed out to different targetvalues, the user's job to reset the operating conditions each time notonly is complicated and troublesome but may also require the help of anexperienced operator. Further, there is a greater risk of error and adecline of productivity when there is a large number of data to beentered.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,616 issued Nov. 19, 1985 to S. Haze and assigned tothe present assignee discloses entering such operating conditions notsingly but as a set of reserved values through a data input unit. Setsof reserved values are written into a memory means by a write controlunit. When it is necessary to reset operating conditions, therefore, theuser has only to read the desired conditions from the memory means, thatis, as a set of reserved values.

With further advancement in the combinational weighing technology and byincreasing demands from the users, the number of entries required of auser and displayed in the form, for example, of a menu has increasedcorrespondingly. The aforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. No.772,244 describes a data input program according to which the firstmenu, displayed after power is switched on and a title display isbriefly made, contains ten items, or programs, to choose from althoughsome of these items are not accessible to unauthorized persons who donot know the predefined password. Of the ten programs accessible fromthe first menu, some are relatively straightforward such as one titled"Zero Adjustment" for effecting zero-point adjustment either on allweighing devices or only on a specified one of them, depending on howthe user responds, or another titled "Production" for starting a normal,weighing process. There is also the one titled "Prearrangement", whichincludes eleven sub-items according to one example, which are: (1)"Target Weight" for specifying a target weight value, (2) "Upper Limit"for defining an allowable range within which total combined weightvalues must fall, (3) "Feeder" for setting the vibration strength of thefeeder for supplying articles to be weighed to the system, (4) "DumpCount" for setting the number of times articles are discharged from theweighers to make up the target value, (5) "Speed" for setting the numberof batches discharged per minute by the system, (6) "Feed Multiplier"for setting a certain multiplier for determining the vibration mode ofthe article feeders, (7) "Stagger Delay" for selecting time delays withwhich various hoppers in each article batch handling unit are opened andclosed, (8) "Level Weight" for setting the weight of articles on thedispersion feeder, (9) "Product Code" for identifying a code associatedwith the kind of articles being handled, (10) "Product Name" foridentifying a product name, and (11) "Calculation Mode" for selectingone of available calculation modes. Similarly, the item titled"Adjustment" includes as many as fifteen sub-items and relates generallyto setting any of the named sub-items. The items "Variant 1" and"Variant 2", which are for adjustments to be carried out only by atrained engineer, likewise include ten and five sub-items, respectively.

With so many items and sub-items to be considered, the user must set agreat number of parameters to define an operating condition, eachparameter representing one of the items or sub-items being considered.Since each parameter is generally allowed to take two or more values,the aforementioned input method by reservation numbers becomesimpractical if there are too many parameters because the number ofcombinations of the reservation numbers increases geometrically with thenumber of parameters to be set, nor is it reasonable to require a largespace in the memory device for storing all combinations of reservationnumbers.

In view of the above, only the reservation numbers for combinations ofparameters related to the sub-items in the "prearrangement" menu werestored in the memory device of a prior art system, necessitating theuser to directly and singly set the other parameters related to thesub-items in the "Adjustment", "Variant 1" and "Variant 2" menus. Asmentioned above, however, this means that the user must repeatedly resetthese sub-items as changes are made in operating conditions. Moreover,the entire operation must be stopped in the case of prior artcombinational weighing systems whenever an operating condition ischanged, for example, to adjust the timing delay between the opening ofhoppers in an article batch handling unit. In other words, the user ofprior art systems could not make such adjustments while watching theoperating conditions on a display means, and the system often had to bestarted and stopped many times to effect adjustments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide aninput-output method and device for an operating system such as acombinational weighing system by means of which a large number ofparameters each representing an operating condition of the system can beset and/or reset efficiently without requiring a large space in memorymeans.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such aninput-output method and device with which the operating condition can bechanged while the system is in operation.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide aninput-output device which displays currently set values of parameters asa bar graph or other graphic symbol on a screen or other display mediaand by means of which these values can be changed easily by touching thescreen or other such media.

The above and other objects of the present invention are achieved byproviding a touch screen with a graphic display controller and an inputcomputer which is programmed independently of the main computer forcontrolling the overall operation of the weighing system. Of the largenumber of parameters which must be set and entered for the systemoperation, some combinations can usually be found which frequently takethe same set of values such as a group of parameters related to theinterconnection of the weighing system to an accessory bag maker. Valuesof parameters in such combinations are not individually stored butstored as a group and frequently appearing combinations of values ofthese parameters are assigned "reservation numbers" so that these valuescan be set as a group by specifying one of these reservation numbers.Values of certain parameters are displayed as a bar graph, the length ofeach bar representing the value of a parameter. Setting and resetting ofsuch parameters can be efficiently carried out by moving a cursor on thedisplay screen to the position of the bar representing the parameter ofinterest and changing the length of the bar by touching a key displayedon the same touch screen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part ofthe specification, illustrate an embodiment of the present inventionand, together with the description, serve to explain the principles ofthe invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a principal part of a combinationalweighing system which can incorporate the method and device of thepresent invention,

FIG. 2 is another chute assembly for the combinational weighing systemof FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system for the weighing system ofFIG. 1 inclusive of an input-output device embodying the presentinvention,

FIGS. 4A-1, 4A-2, 4B-1, 4B-2, 4C-1 through 4C-3, 4D-1 through 4D-3,4E-1, 4E-2, 4F, 4G and 4H, which are hereinafter all together referredto as FIG. 4, show displays made on the touch screen of FIG. 3, and

FIGS. 5A-1 through 5A-4, 5B-1 through 5B-4, 5C-1 through 5C-4, 5D-1through 5D-4, 5E, 5F-1 through 5F-3, 5G-1 and 5G-2, which arehereinafter all together referred to as FIG. 5, show flow charts of aprogram by which operating conditions are set or reset through thecontrol system of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1, there is shown a side elevational view of a principal part ofa combinational weighing system 10 which can incorporate the method anddevice of the present invention. This system 10 has eighteen articlebatch handling units radially arrayed in a circular formation and thearticles to be weighed are transported by a conveyor means (not shown)and dropped onto a dispersion feeder (DF) 12 which is a circular tablewith a lightly inclined conical top surface so that the articles droppedthereonto from the conveyor means are dispersed uniformly in radialdirections. Eighteen feed troughs (or radial feeders RF) 13 each with anarticle receiving end and an article delivering end are arranged in acircular formation around the dispersion feeder 12 with their articlereceiving ends adjacent thereto. Both the dispersion feeder 12 and theradial feeders 13 are supported on a system housing 15 preferablythrough individual vibration-causing means (not shown) which serve tocause vibrational motion of the articles thereon. The radial feeders 13are disposed radially and serve to deliver the articles to be weighedinto the individual article batch handling units associated therewith.Each article batch handling unit includes a pool hopper (PH) 17 servingto receive an article batch from the radial feeder 13 associated withthe same article batch handling unit and to discharge the same articlebatch into a weigh hopper (WH) 18 belonging to the same article batchhandling unit and situated immediately therebelow. A weigh hopper 18 isconnected to a weighing device (not shown in FIG. 1) such as a load cell(LC) and serves momentarily to hold the article batch received from thepool hopper 17 thereabove. The weight values measured by the load cellsare electrically transmitted to a control unit (not shown in FIG. 1).The lower part of the system 10 is comprised of a chute assembly,including a funnel-shaped outer chute 20 coaxially surrounding afunnel-shaped inner chute 21 in such a way that they form two separatedischarge routes. At the bottom end, the outer chute 20 is divided intotwo separate passages where it is connected to left-hand and right-handtiming hoppers (TH) 24 which are, in turn, connected to a first lowerchute 25. At the bottom of the inner chute 21 is provided a secondtiming hopper 27 which is connected to a second lower chute 28. Thetiming hoppers 24 and 27 are intended to make certain that the groups ofarticle batches sequentially discharged through the same chute areseparated, thus contributing to improvement of system reliability.

FIG. 2 shows a chute assembly of another type characterized as having afunnel-shaped inner chute 31 and two completely separated outer chutes32 and 33, and they are so structured that article batches dischargedinto the left-hand chute 32 are collected temporarily inside a firstintermediate hopper (IH) 41, those discharged into the inner chute 31are collected similarly inside a second intermediate hopper 42 and thosedischarged into the outer right-hand chute 33 are collected inside athird intermediate hopper 43. Methods of operating these intermediatehoppers 41, 42 and 43 are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.787,325 filed Oct. 15, 1985 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,326 and assigned tothe present assignee.

Conditions for operating the combinational weighing system 10 of FIG. 1are set or reset through an input-output device (not shown in FIG. 1)which may include a touch screen of a known type, for example, disclosedin Japanese Patent Publication Kokoku 61-35569 and made commerciallyavailable by Matsushita Electric, Inc. of Osaka, Japan.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control unit for the entire weighingsystem 10 including the aforementioned input-output device with a touchscreen 50 and a printer 51. Numeral 60 indicates a computer (hereinafterreferred to as "main computer A") which serves to control the operationof the entire system. The touch screen 50 includes touch keys 52, aplasma display unit 53 and a memory device 54 which stores display dataof various "pages" (to be explained in detail below). Numeral 55indicates a computer (hereinafter referred to as "computer D") whichcontrols the touch keys 52, the printer 51 and input from and outputinto an external memory means such as a memory card (not shown). Numeral57 indicates a graphic display controller (GDC) which reads out displaydata of a specific page from the memory device 54 in response to asignal from the main computer A 60, converts them into video signals andtransmits them to the display unit 53. The GDC 57 also serves to acceptscreen data transmitted from the main computer A and write it in aspecified page stored in the memory device 54. The main computer A 60 isconnected to the computer D 55 by a photocable 61 and serves to controlthe input and output of the touch screen 50 by interpreting theoperating conditions received in the form of key code from the computerD 55 and the currently displayed conditions. If the display must bechanged, the main computer A 60 transmits updated display data to theGDC 57.

Numeral 65 indicates a computer (hereinafter referred to as "computerB") which carries out combinational calculation. Each article batchhandling unit (or head) has associated therewith a computer (hereinafterreferred to as "head computer C") 66-1, 66-2, . . . 66-18. Individualcomputers 67, 68 and 69 are also provided to control the timing hoppers24 and 27, intermediate hoppers 41, 42 and 43 and the vibratory motionof the dispersion feeder 12, respectively. Weight signals indicative ofthe weights of article batches communicated from the individual loadcells are transmitted through the head computers C 66 to the computer B65 and combinational calculations based on the weight values indicatedby these weight signals is carried out by the computer B 65. Numeral 70indicates a RAM for storing messages and data for communication betweenthe main computer A 60 and the computer B 65. Programs for all thesecomputers are stored in a ROM 71 and transmitted to the individualcomputers when power is initially switched on. Whenever changes inoperating conditions for the system are entered through the touch screen50, irrespective of whether the system is then in operation, newconditions are written in the appropriate places in the RAM 70 and aninterrupt signal is transmitted from a decoder 75 and received by thecomputer B 65. The computer B 65, upon receiving such an interruptsignal from the decoder 75, writes the new operating condition in itsinternal memory device (not shown) and replaces the old conditionsthereby. The new operating conditions are thereafter communicated to thehead computers C 66 as well as to the computers 67, 68 and 69 whendischarge signals are transmitted to selected article batch handlingunits. In other words, operating conditions according to the presentinvention can be changed in each cycle of the combinational calculation,that is, without stopping the overall operation of the system.

In return, when weight values or error messages which are to bedisplayed by the display unit 53 are received by the computer B 65, thedecoder 75 transmits an interrupt signal to the main computer A 60. Themain computer A 60 then stores such data or error messages in itsinternal memory device, generates necessary display data and transmitsthem to the GDC 57.

Next, before a specific example of a program according to the presentinvention is described for the computer D 55, the basic principle of thepresent invention by which such a program is created will be explained.To briefly review the problem which is intended to be solved by thepresent invention, the prior art system described above displays menussuch that the user can select therefrom a program to run as well asconditions under which the selected program should be run. In the caseof an example illustrated above, however, the user must set values forparameters corresponding to 15 sub-items in the "Adjustment" menu, 10sub-items in the "Variant 1" menu and 5 sub-items in the "Variant 2"menu. Previously, setting of parameters had to be done individually andthe procedure was found to be too complicated and troublesome. It wastherefore considered desirable to store combinations of conditions orparameters as sets of reserved values in a memory means but the problemthereby encountered was that it would require unreasonably large memoryspace in view of the large number of parameters which must be specified.

The procedure of this invention is based on the observation that samesets of values occur more frequently for certain combinations ofparameters. Let us consider a following simplified situation with tenparameters A, B, . . . J which must be set to operate a system. Let usfurther assume that, of these ten parameters, A, B, C, D and E areusually changed if a different target weight value is selected althougharticles of the same kind are weighed (such as weighing out 100 g ofpeanuts and 200 g of peanuts) but that F, G, H, I and J usually do nothave to be changed even if the target weight value is changed as long asarticles of the same kind are being handled. In such a situation,combinations of parameters which may be written symbolically as (A, B,C, D, E=1; F, G, H, I, J=1), (A, B, C, D, E=2; F, G, H, I, J=1), and (A,B, C, D, E=3; and F, G, H I J=1) will occur frequently for threedifferent target weight values for articles of one type, whilecombinations (A, B, C, D, E=4; F, G, H, I, J=2), (A, B, C, D, E=5; F, G,H, I, J=2) and (A, B, C, D, E=6; F, G, H, I, J=2) will likewise occurfrequently for three different target weight values for articles ofanother type. In other words, it is frequently the case that thecombination of parameters F, G, H, I, J=1 usually appears when articlesof the first type are weighed out irrespective of the target weightvalue, while the combination F, G, H, I, J=2 usually appears whenarticles of the second type are weighed out, and so on. In such atypical situation, it is convenient to consider the five parameters F,G, H, I and J as a single set. Let SETUP be the "name" of this set, andthe six combinations considered above may be rewritten as follows: (A,B, C, D, E=1; SETUP 1), (A, B, C, D, E=2; SETUP 1), (A, B, C, D, E=3;SETUP 1), (A, B, C, D, E=4; SETUP 2), (A, B, C, D, E=5; SETUP 2) and (A,B, C, D, E=6; SETUP 2). The net effect of grouping the five parametersF, G, H, I and J into one single combination called SETUP is to reducethe required storage space in the memory means.

In accordance with the general principle stated above, the sub-items inthe menus titled "Adjustment", "Variant 1" and "Variant 2" for theaforementioned prior art system are divided into three groups titledSETUP A, SETUP B and SETUP C according to a program embodying thepresent invention illustrated hereinbelow. SETUP A includes conditionsrelated to operation and weighing. SETUP B includes conditions relatedto the connection of the system with peripheral devices such as apackaging unit and a bucket conveyor. SETUP C includes conditionsrelated to the hardware such as stepping motors used in the individualarticle batch handling units to open and close hopper gates. Thus,conditions within each group (SETUP) are closely related and hence it isfrequently the case that same sets of values are chosen.

Next, there is illustrated a program which is based on the principlegenerally described above and by which the computer D 55 sets or resetsoperating conditions for the system in response to a user input throughthe touch keys 52. The program is illustrated by way of both a series ofdisplays made on the display unit 53 as shown in FIG. 4 and a flow chartin FIG. 5.

With reference to both FIGS. 4 and 5, a command to display Page 0 isinitially transmitted to the GDC 57 (n1). As shown in FIG. 4, whereinpage numbers are indicated inside circles, Page 0 displays, in additionto the date, the model number of the system and the like, a message"ENTER PASSWORD" and a number of keys inclusive of numeric keys and anentry key indicated by a downward pointing arrow. A timer is startedimmediately (n2) and if no key is touched (NO in n3) within a set time(YES in n4), a command to display Page 2 is automatically transmitted tothe GDC 57 (n10). Alternatively, the program may be so written (asschematically shown by a dotted arrow in FIG. 4) that the user isrequired to touch the entry key to have Page 2 displayed. A password ispredefined so that only qualified persons informed thereof are permittedto set or reset certain parameters. If the user forms a "word" by usingthe numeric keys and touches the entry key, the program examines whetherthe correct password has been entered (n5) and if so, a command todisplay Page 1 is transmitted to GDC 57.

Page 2 contains a message "TOUCH MENU KEY" as shown in FIG. 4 andseveral keys are displayed. The computer waits until the touch screen 50is touched (n11). Some of the displayed keys have the same name as oneof the items in the menu for Model CCW-S-21X manufactured and sold bythe present assignee. The ZERO ADJUST key (n12) relates to zero-pointadjustment. The PRODUCT START key is for starting a normal weighingprocess. The SYSTEM DRAIN key relates to discharging of all articlesremaining in the system either when the articles being weighed are to bechanged or at the end of the day. The CALCULATION key is used as averification and diagnostic tool by displaying the selected weighingdevices and the weight values from each. The PRINT TOTAL key is forprinting out all stored results of weighing, for example, at the end ofthe day. If the PREARRANGEMENT key is touched (n13), a command todisplay Page 4 is transmitted to GDC 57 (n21), Page 2 disappears andPage 4 appears on the screen, the corresponding menu for"PREARRANGEMENT" becoming accessible through Pages 4, 5 and 6. The usercan go from Page 2 to Page 0 by touching the EXIT key (n14) and to Page3 by touching the NEXT PAGE key (n15) to cause a command for the displayof Page 3 to be transmitted to GDC 57 (n16).

After Page 3 is displayed on the screen, the computer waits until theuser touches one of the displayed keys (n17). If the SPAN ADJUST key istouched (YES in n18), a command to perform span adjustment istransmitted. Span adjustment means, as is well known in the art, anadjustment made in such a way that, when an analog signal representing aweight value obtained by a weighing device is converted into a digitalsignal, this digital signal will correspond to a value by which the userwishes to represent the actual weight of the weighed load. By touchingthe SETUP A key on Page 3 (n19), the SETUP B key Page 3 (n20) and theSETUP C key on Page 1 (n8), the user can reach the menus for theaforementioned three groups of conveniently assembled parameters throughPages 10 and 11, Pages 14 through 16 and Page 19, respectively.

The "PREARRANGEMENT" menu covers Pages 4 through 6. when the PREARRANGEkey on Page 2 is touched (n13), Page 4 appears immediately (n21) with adisplay of keys and a statement "PREARRANGEMENT NUMBER XX". In thisdisplay, "XX" indicates a reservation number representing a certain setof selected values as explained above by way of a simplified example.The user can go from Page 4 to Page 5 (n26) by touching the NEXT key onPage 4 (n24), from Page 5 to Page 6 (n29) by touching the NEXT key onPage 5 (n27), from page 6 to Page 4 (n21) by touching the FIRST key(n31), and from Pages 4, 5 and 6 to Page 2 (n10) by touching the EXITkey on the respective pages (n25, n28 and n32).

If the user touches the TARGET WEIGHT key on Page 4 (n22), the computerD creates display data for Page 7 and transmits them to GDC 57. Page 7is displayed by a command to GDC 57 (n33). A new display is made on topof the previous display, that is, Page 7 shows a portion of Page 4 asshown in FIG. 4. Thereafter, the user may enter a new target weightvalue by using the numeric keys (n35) and the ENTRY key (n36). The newtarget weight value thus entered is stored by the computer (n37) andPage 4 with updated target weight value is displayed (n38). The user cansimilarly update values of the other parameters included in this menu.The UPPER LIMIT key is touched to set a new value of the weight over thetarget weight value which is permitted to be discharged as a properweight. The FEEDER MIN. AMP key is touched to set a new valuerepresenting the feeder vibration strength. The SPEED key is touched toset a new number of bags per minute discharged by the weighing system.The appropriate value is determined by many factors such as the productcharacteristics, target weight and the specifications of the bag maker.The DUMP key is touched to set a new number of times articles are to bedischarged from the system to deliver the target weight. The PRODUCTCODE key is touched to identify the product code on the printer and thePRODUCT NAME key is touched to identify the product name on the displayas programmed for the aforementioned Model CCW-S-21X of the assigneecorporation.

The FEEDER DATA key is touched to set the vibration strengths and timeintervals of the radial feeders each associated with one of the eighteenarticle batch handling units and the centrally located dispersionfeeder. According to one aspect of the present invention, setting ofthese data is achieved graphically rather than by entering numbers. Whenthe FEEDER DATA key is touched on Page 4 (YES in n23), a command istransmitted to GDC 57 to display Page 8 (n39). Page 8 is characterizedas displaying the amplitude (AMP) and time interval (TIME) of vibrationof each radial feeder (1-18) and the dispersion feeder (shown as the19th feeder) in the form of a bar graph rather than as numeric data,thus enabling the user not only to visually comprehend the currently setmode of vibration of tee feeders but also to change these modes directlyfrom the graph.

If the user touches the AMP key (n40) to modify the amplitude ofvibrations of one of the feeders, the AMP key and the cursor pointingdownward light up (n46). If the user touches the TIME key (n41) tomodify the time interval of feeder vibrations, the TIME key and thecursor pointing upward light up (n47). These cursors can be movedsideways by touching the right arrow and left arrow keys (n42 to n48 orn49 and n43 to n51 or n52). After selecting a feeder by moving a cursorsideways, the user can make the corresponding bar longer (n44 to n54 orn55) or shorter (n45 to n58 or n59). Each time the increase key istouched (n44), the corresponding bar becomes longer by one square andeach time the decrease key is touched (n45), the corresponding barbecomes shorter by one square, thereby changing the amplitude and/ortime interval of vibration of the corresponding feeder. A command istransmitted thereafter to GDC 57 and the updated Page 8 is displayed(n50, n53 or n56) and this concludes the reservation process regardingfeeder data. The user can similarly set or reset the parametersindicated on Page 5 and proceed to Page 6 or go back to page 2 bytouching the NEXT key (n27) or the EXIT key (n28), respectively.

From Page 6 of the "PREARRANGEMENT" menu, the user can touch the LEVELkey to set the weight of articles which the system aims to feed onto thedispersion feeder, for example, by controlling a feed conveyor, theTARGET COUNT key to set the target count value if combinationalcalculation is effected by measured numbers of articles. If one of thethree SETUP keys is touched (n30, for example) a display similar to theone on Page 7 appears and the user can change the reservation number ina similar manner. Flow chart for Page 9 is nearly the same as that forPage 7 and hence will not be described.

Parameters in SETUP A, B and C menus can be set and reset, or the valuesof parameters identified by a reservation number in each of these menuscan be defined or redefined by touching the corresponding SETUP key. Asmentioned above, the parameters within each SETUP menu are selected suchthat those grouped together in each menu frequently take same sets ofvalues. In other words, it is important in programming the computer D toproperly identify one or more groups of parameters such that theyfrequently take same sets of values. According to the example shown inFIGS. 4 and 5, three such groups are identified and shown in the SETUPA, B and C menus but specific identification and grouping of theseparameters are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

To briefly describe the SETUP A menu, sub-items belonging to this menuare displayed on Pages 10 and 11 and if the user wishes to change thecombination of values corresponding to a reservation number, the keyrepresenting the sub-item for which the value is to be changed istouched. If the key titled "OFFSET" is touched, for example, Page 12,which is similar to Page 7, is displayed with a title and input keys.The user can enter by touching these keys a new value for the parametercorresponding to this sub-item (titled "OFFSET") for the displayedreservation number. The key titled "FEED CONTROL" is for determiningwhether the feeders are to be controlled automatically or manually. Ifthe user touches this key, Page 13 with only two keys appears becausethe parameter for this sub-item can take only two values, that is,"AUTO" and "MANUAL". Pages which are displayed when the other keys onPages 10 and 11 are touched are similar and will not be describedindividually.

The SETUP B and C menus are similarly operated to set or reset values ofparameters corresponding to any of the reservation numbers for the menu.Whenever one of the displayed keys is touched on Pages 14, 15 and 16 ofthe SETUP B menu or Page 19 of the SETUP C menu, a display similar tothat shown in Page 12 or Page 13 appears and the user can choose a newoperating condition. For example, Pages 17 and 18 with format similar tothat for Page 13 appear when the WEIGHER TYPE and the LEVEL SENSOR keyson the SETUP B menu are touched, respectivley. Pages 20, 21 and 22 canbe displayed similarly from Page 19.

The purpose of the present invention to simplify the operation of anoperating system such as a combinational weighing system is furtherachieved by enabling the user to set some of the operating conditionswhile visually perceiving the currently set conditions. If the usertouches the PRODUCT START key on Page 2 of FIG. 4 to start a normalproduction program, Page 23 appears and the user can touch the up ordown key thereon to change the Preset No. to specify a desired item. Ifthe user thereafter touches the START key, Page 24 appears with displayof FEEDER ADJUST and HOPPER TIMING keys. If the FEEDER ADJUST key istouched, Page 25 appears (n60). Operations from Page 25 are programmedsimilarly to those for Page 8. If the HOPPER TIMING key is touched, Page26 appears (n61). Page 26 shows graphically the currently set timingsequence by which hoppers and feeders (FD and DS respectively for"radially feeder" and "dispersion feeder") of the individual articlebatch handling units are activated. As shown by the flow chart for Page26 in FIG. 5, the cursor (blinking light) can be moved vertically by theup and down keys to indicate the desired component and a correspondingmarker can be moved horizontally by touching the left and right keys tochange the setting.

The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention hasbeen presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formdisclosed. For example, the number of article batch handling units andother specifications of the combinational weighing system to which themethod and device of this invention are applied and/or incorporated donot limit the scope of the invention. The method and device of thisinvention can be used in connection with many types of systems requiringa number of parameters to be set. The bars in the bar graphs need not berepresented by a series of square boxes as shown in FIG. 4. In fact, theexpression "bar graph" as used herein should be broadly construed toinclude any visual, graphic representation of a quantity. They may berepresented by a series of dots, hyphens, etc. According to oneembodiment of the present invention, the various computers and the touchscreen employed in the system shown in FIG. 3 were as follows:

Main Computer A and Computer B: Model I-8086 or I-8088, manufactured byIntel Corporation of California

Head Computers C, Computer D and Computers for TH, IH and DF: ModelHD-6301 or Z-80 manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd. of Tokyo

Touch Screen: Manufactured by Matsushita Electric, Inc. of Osaka, Japan

but these specific choices do not limit the present invention. Any suchmodifications and variations which may be apparent to a person skilledin the art are intended to be within the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An input device for setting conditions foroperating a combinational weighing system having a plurality of weighingdevices and combining weight values obtained from said weighing devicesto thereby select a combination of said weight values, said input devicecomprisinga display screen, a control unit which causes one or moregraphic representations to be displayed on said display screen, saidrepresentations controlling both parameters for said system as a wholeand parameters for individual ones of said weighing devices, first inputmeans for allowing said parameters to be displayed on said displayscreen and to have one of said parameters to be selected, and secondinput means for changing the value of a selected one of said parameters.2. The input device of claim 1 wherein said graphic representations arebar graphs including bars.
 3. The input device of claim 2 wherein saidcontrol unit further causes a position cursor to be displayed on saiddisplay screen for each of said bar graphs and said first input meansserve to move said cursor from one to another of said bars.
 4. The inputdevice of claim 1 wherein said display screen comprises a touch screen,and said first and second input means include keys displayed on saidtouch screen.
 5. The input device of claim 1 wherein said parameters tobe displayed and selected by said first input means include a targetweight value with respect to which said system selects a combination ofsaid weight values.
 6. The input device of claim 5 wherein saidparameters to be displayed and selected by said first input means alsoinclude an upper limit, said system being allowed to select only acombination of said weight values of which the total exceeds said targetweight value by less than said upper limit.
 7. The input device of claim1 wherein said parameters to be displayed and selected by said firstinput means include a speed value which represents a number of timessaid system is to select a combination of said weight values per unittime.
 8. The input device of claim 1 wherein said combinational weighingsystem includes feeders which are individually associated with saidweighing devices and wherein said parameters to be displayed andselected by said second input means include amplitudes of vibrations ofindividual ones of said feeders.
 9. The input device of claim 1 whereinsaid combinational weighing system includes feeders which areindividually associated with said weighing devices and wherein saidparameters to be displayed and selected by said second input meansinclude time periods of vibrations of individual ones of said feeders.10. The input device of claim 1 wherein the values of at least some ofsaid parameters are variable by specified units.
 11. The input device ofclaim 10 wherein said first and second input means serve to change thevalues of said parameters.